Tiny Pieces of My Universe
by Emerald Padparadscha
Summary: A series of small drabbles, and sometimes only a scene or two barely a few seconds long... (A/N: I write drabbles and scenes better than I do entire stories. This is my first foray into writing in the world of Steven Universe) 3
1. All In A Day's Work

**All In A Day's Work**

By: Emerald Padparadscha

* * *

Ruby sat back on her haunches, wiping the sweat from her brow. Pearl had drawn up some pretty good plans based on what Greg said people - especially babies - needed. The roofing was almost finished. After a few renovations inside and maybe a porch, this house would be perfect. Greg helped with the house's construction when and where he could. For a guy with no experience in construction, he had a natural talent at it. He wouldn't be living here with them, thankfully. They'd only been able to handle Greg in increments before! Years of keeping to themselves hadn't lent the Crystal Gems any inside information on what exactly human required, though...

Working like this helped her focus away from the fact Greg would be coming over in a few months with Rose's kid. Sapphire wasn't made for work, and Pearl was doing what she could inside the house. Amethyst was around here somewhere...or she had been a few minutes ago.

Refocusing, Ruby stuck a few more nails between her lips and grabbed her hammer. If this house could be finished by the end of the week, she'd be more than happy.

 _A few hours later..._

"Alright, Pearl." Ruby walked into the currently doorless entryway, a towel slung over her shoulder. "Still doin' your thing?"

The tall, lithe Gem walked from one wall tot he other, the hologram emitting from her gem showing what Ruby could only assume was electrical design stuff. "If by "thing" you mean reworking primitive Human electronics to be able to run off of Gem power..." The hologram disappeared and Pearl crossed her arms. "Then, no, that's exactly what I've been unable to accomplish. Humans work with such simple materials. I don't see how they-" Pearl paused when she noticed the 'Get On With It' look Ruby was giving her. "Oh... Sorry." She smiled a little. "How's it going outside?"

Heat and work were two things rubies were made for, so the fact the red Gem's skin glistened from moisture was unusual. Her hair, normally wavy with medium-dense curls, was an erratic mess and mostly limp across her shoulders. "Done." Ruby replied, oblivious to Pearl's questioning gaze. She walked over to the door of the temple, wiping her face with the tower. "I'm gonna take a break an' get started on the rest later." The gem on her hand glowed as the door to her and Sapphire's shared room opened. "Also, Amethyst found water balloons."

She walked through the door, only realizing when the door closed behind her that maybe she should have waited a minute to see Pearl's face. Not far away stood Sapphire, grinning, as her partner face-palmed.

"It was priceless." Sapphire somehow deadpanned, even with a smile. "Just not as good as your's."


	2. Fusion

**Fusion**

Author: Emerald Padparadscha

* * *

Fusing wasn't a dance to them. It wasn't a written series of steps, or even something that they could explain. There was something deeper, something they couldn't explain, but could only understand through acceptance.

Ruby brushed Sapphire's bangs back, resting her forehead against her love's as they embraced each other. Her left hand held Sapphire's right, the warm glow fo the touching gemstones radiating through entwined fingers. They'd been together forever, practically. It was difficult not to initate a fusion even through an embrance as simple as this. Sometimes, though, they liked to come out of fusion, if only for a few short moments. They found themselves getting lost for days at a time in all that was Garnet. Years would pass with barely an acknowledgement that they really were Ruby and Sapphire at all. In fact, Garnet would pleasantly go about her day, the names not once entering her active thoughts until someone else brought them up. It was sheer bliss, their perceptions blurring to the point of becoming indistinguishable...

Yet being able to touch each other like this almost felt like a guilty pleasure.

Their gazes met. The next moment, they were looking at an empty space, and didn't feel empty at all.


	3. Please Stop TryingTo Handle My Style

**Please Stop Trying...To Handle My Style**

Author: Emerald Padparadscha

* * *

Steven had run out to meet the mailman, and, as always, somehow left a pile of junk mail in his wake. Garnet watched Steven grab a package in excitement before running off to give Connie a phone call. That meant Steven was pretty much taken care of for the day. She bent down to pick up the mess, one of which was a catalogue of sorts for a clothing store, remembering when those things were far too thick for anyone's own good.

That had been two hours ago...

Ruby sat upside down on the couch in her and Sapphire's shared room of the temple, her legs slung over the back. As soon as they had picked up that catalogue, Sapphire immediately wanted to change their outfits to suit the new times. Personally, Ruby thought her outfit was perfectly fine. It hadn't even given her problems before, and she'd been wearing it since...well, forever! It wasn't like she wasn't used to this, though. Every few centuries or so, Sapphire wanted to change her style. The last time the blue Gem did this was when they'd spent a few Earth days not being Garnet back in... How long ago was it when the planet still had kings and queens and Pearl developed that whole knight complex? Everything kinda blurred together when they were Garnet. She and Sapphire had totally different perspectives on the 'chain of events' thing. For the most part, it was hard for Sapphire to live in the moment and far too easy for Ruby to do it. For Garnet, it didn't matter when or how things happened...only that they did.

"Done!"

Ruby righted herself, her eyes wide and mouth crooked ina lop-sided grin.

"Do you like it?" Sapphire asked.

To say she liked it would be an understatement. The tunic-like top Sapphire had chosen was tight around the torso but a little loose along the full, tapered sleeves. Her hair was still long and sleek down her back - naturally, her bangs still covered her eye. Like her shirt, her skirt was a soft blueish white, the style resembling the athletic, tribal style ones worn by tennis players.

"I like any outfit that lets me see more of you. You know that." She slid off the couch to stand beside her. "But you already _knew_ I'd like it."

Sapphire laughed, grabbing Ruby's hand. "Now it's your turn!"

 _"What?!"_

"Oh, come off it, Ruby." She grinned. "I already _know_ you'll like it."


	4. The Beach

**The Beach**

Author: Emerald Padparadscha

* * *

The sun was intense enough to cause a good sunburn in only a handful of minutes. The sand practically seared bare skin to the touch. It was officially the height of the summer heat. Ruby lay in the brightest, hottest spot on the beach she could find. Her eyes were closed, her smile relaxed, and she had been that way for the past hour. She knew she had only a relatively few days of this before Winter returned. Though Garnet's other half didn't share the sentiment the hotter Gem felt, Sapphire was happy staying in the shadow of the temple and writing in her journal. It'd been something she picked up years ago at Rose's advisal to help keep her in the moment. Simply writing down everything that was happening around her kept her glued to the moment. She could enjoy things for what they were when Ruby wasn't actively grounding her to reality.

Ruby looked over, smiling at her love. She raised her hand and waved a little. "Just a few for minutes! I promise!"

Sapphire smiled back. "Ok."

The sun had set a while ago. The moon was bright and full, keeping everything wonderfully lit. The surf licked lightly at the hem of Sapphire's dress, the moonlit sea foam nearly matching the colour of her hair. Ruby sat on the beach, watching her lover dance in the surf. Sapphire enjoyed the cool ocean water of Earth. Ruby, not so much...but right now, there was nothing more beautiful than the sight in front of her. It felt like hours passed by as she sat there, entranced, watching her Sapphire. It'd probably only been a few minutes, truthfully. Ruby wondered if Sapphire felt this way sometimes with future vision...hours thundering by when moments had just barely crept past.

Sapphire turned to Ruby and smiled, her semi-damp hair pushed back rather than hiding her face. "Just a few more minutes?"

Ruby sat back a little on her hands, perfectly content with being here forever. "Ok."


	5. When You're Hot You're Hot

**When You're Hot You're Hot**

Author: Emerald Padparadscha

* * *

It wasn't often anymore she and Garnet went on missions together. The fusion had explained to her before - right after yet another bout of questioning of why they never went on missions together - that Steven would learn more from her and Amethyst right now than he would from Garnet. It was one of the few times Pearl could recall catching the taller Gem so blatantly telling a lie. She was just as nervous as the rest of them around the small half-Gem, yet she likely handled him with the most attention and the gentlest hands. Mission wise, though, the places Garnet went solo to weren't usually friendly to non-Garnet Gems, anyway.

"Well," Garnet adjusted her glasses, "I did warn you, but you still wanted to come."

Pearl clutched to the stalactite, her long limbs wrapped security around it. She'd been perturbed more than anything when she'd found herself in this predicament. Embarrassment edged in when Garnet simply strode out of the magma pool and smirked. Now, irritation.

"You just looked at what my chances were of falling, didn't you?" Pearl deadpanned.

Garnet's smirk didn't lessen. "I suggest you hold on real tight."

Pearl watched as Garnet stepped on to a stone halfway submerged in the magma. She formed a single gauntlet, slamming it hard into the ground. The vibration shook the entire cavern they were in, and Pearl clutched even tighter whens he felt her lifeline starting to give away. The rumble intensified, and she felt the heat more than saw it. She also felt it when a strong pair of arms wrapped around her waist. Garnet deposited Pearl on the edge of the volcanic crater just as the lava caught up with them. She walked over and reached into a pool of the molten rock starting to form, pulling out what looked like a crystalline red orb. Casually, she brushed it off. Her body was steaming from the heat.

"The orb was trapped underneath the pool. I had to, as humans say," She smiled. "get two birds with one stone."

Pearl rolled her eyes, unable to hide the smile. "Show off."

Garnet returned the smile. "You love it."


	6. Your Ruby Is Showing

**Your Ruby Is Showing**

Author: Emerald Padparadscha

* * *

It'd been centures since Pearl had anything to do with Ruby. At least, directly. The red Gem had always been quick to anger and even quicker to act. Sapphire could level things out for the most part, both in and out of Garnet form. It didn't stop Rose from teasing, "Your Ruby is showing." whenever Garnet would become particularily erratic, especially early in the fusion's life. Anything from a sheepish smile to an embarrassed frown would happen, and a small blush was almost always present. Rose never teased Sapphire, though.

Which is why Pearl just about laughed when she and Amethyst caught Garnet actually trying to brush and style her hair. Amethyst did laugh, "You're Sapphire is showing!"

And Garnet couldn't help but blush.


End file.
